*Note: This is an edited post from Pentecost 2015 and
2016. I will most likely be starting a series
on the Holy Spirit; please stay tuned.
“And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto to them cloven tongues
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4 KJV)
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Sunday, June 4, is Pentecost, the day we celebrate the birth
of the Church. It is a day of joy, a
celebration of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to His children. Without the Holy Spirit we could accomplish
little—what little we did accomplish would be in our own power and/or strength.
(As a side note: on May 15, 2005, I was
water baptized. In the future, I will
share more in a post dedicated to water baptism.)
Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the Easter
Season—when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to the church (for more
please read Acts 2). The Holy Spirit
came to those who had been waiting and praying for the One promised by Jesus
before His ascension.
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| Image from Pixabay |
Likewise, we too, may have to wait for the Holy Spirit to
baptize us, to empower us to live a Christian life and to do the ministry God
has equipped us to do. (Many times this
is separate from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in us at the moment of our
conversion. At some point in the future,
I will address this in an additional blog post or series of posts.) Receiving the Holy Spirit baptism changed
things for me in a very positive way.
The color red, symbolizing the tongues of fire that came
down upon the apostles and those gathered together, is the color of the church
at this point in the year.
What else does the symbol of fire represent to you?
What comes to mind?
What does fire do (cleanse, purify, destroy)?
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| Image from Pixabay |
Yet, Pentecost is much
more than this. Pentecost is when Jesus’
promise (see John 14:15-17) to send a Counselor, a Comforter to be with and
empower those He left behind was fulfilled. It was at this point that the apostles had the
power to preach, to heal, to speak in tongues (unlearned languages and
spiritual languages), and to cast out demons.
Without this gift of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would
have remained fearful (and stayed in hiding) of the religious and political
authorities. We, likewise, without the
Holy Spirit are weak, yet when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can do
great things! Consider the great men and
women of faith who have done great things for the Lord (for some examples
please see Believing God: Those Who Believed God).
I believe this gift—the baptism of the Holy Spirit—with the
speaking of tongues and everything else received by those early followers of
Jesus is still available to us today. It
has not died out as some believe. Just
because we do not see certain things much, if at all, today does not mean that
the gift given at Pentecost is no longer available to us. More likely, it is due to us getting too smart
for our own good! Fear gets in the way
too. The Holy Spirit is not to be
feared; He is a gentleman and will not come where He is not welcome, nor will
He behave in ways that would cause fright.
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| Image from Pixabay |
What experiences have you had with the Holy Spirit?
Have you experienced Pentecost in your life?
“Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth; It is expedient that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
(John 16:7-8 KJV)
Please join me in prayer:
Dear Jesus, Thank You for
fulfilling Your promise of sending the Holy Spirit to us. Thank You for the work that the Holy Spirit
does in our lives. We realize our need
for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to live as a Christian and to walk as You
walked, Lord. Without the Holy Spirit
baptizing us, we will rely on our flesh to live as we are to live and to
fulfill the ministry that You have called us to; something that we cannot do
for the long haul. Come Holy Spirit,
fill us with Your presence and empower us to do what we cannot do on our own. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
Come Holy Spirit, Come!
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| Image from Pixabay |
